March 2026 · Sun Auto Tire & Service acquires DAS Drive Automotive Services (23 locations)

One buyer added 23 shops in a single deal and crossed 575 stores

By Clay Whitaker, Auto Shop Acquisitions

Fast facts

Buyer:: Sun Auto Tire & Service
Target:: DAS Drive Automotive Services (23 locations)
Date:: March 2026
Locations:: 23 (target); 575+ (buyer)
Source:: Tire Business

Sun Auto Tire & Service, backed by Leonard Green & Partners, acquired 23 locations from DAS Drive Automotive Services: its entry into Colorado (a 26th state) and a reinforcement of its Arizona network, pushing the platform past 575 stores.

The deal centered on greater Denver (Aurora, Centennial, Littleton, Longmont, Parker, Thornton and more), giving Sun Auto a turnkey metro platform rather than a slow store-by-store build.

Why DAS Drive Automotive Services was a target

→New-state entry with instant metro density: 23 established shops gave Sun Auto a ready-made Denver footprint overnight.
→Multi-unit groups are prized because one transaction adds scale, existing management, and a running operation to plug into the platform's systems.
→Private-equity roll-ups profit from 'multiple arbitrage': buying operators at lower multiples and folding them into a larger, higher-valued platform.

What it means for owners

The buyers with the deepest pockets are actively shopping for shops like yours, not despite your size, but because of it. Knowing where you stand against their criteria is the difference between fielding an offer and negotiating one.

Would your shopmake a buyer's list?

Get your free Acquisition Readiness Score: how a buyer would read your shop today, and the gaps you can still fix. It is not a valuation, and nothing is shared with a buyer without your consent. Five minutes, no obligation.

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Reported facts via Tire Business. Commentary is our own.